Loading...
Press centre
News, resources and media contact.
Press releases, company background, quotes and direct access to the team. We respond to media enquiries within 24 hours.
- Press releases
- 11
- Press releases
- Communities
- 18
- Communities
- Conferences
- 12
- Conferences
- Members
- 25,000+
- Members
Press releases
Latest news.
- 22 September 2026 · PartnershipsColibri Digital becomes Global Headline Data & AI Sponsor of Community StackCommunity Stack today announced a strategic partnership with Colibri Digital, becoming its Global Headline Data & AI Sponsor. The two organisations are jointly launching Databricks UK, a new practitioner community, with its first event, the Databricks Innovation Hackathon, on 21 October 2026.Read
- 23 June 2026 · EcosystemCommunity Stack announces the next phase of its ecosystem, with new conferences, expanded events, a growing team, and ambition to reach 100,000+ members by next yearCommunity Stack today announced the next phase of its practitioner-led technology ecosystem, introducing a refreshed portfolio of communities, conferences, leadership forums, and event programmes across AI, cloud and data infrastructure, DevOps and platform engineering, cloud native and open source, finance technology, and startup operations.Read
- 29 April 2026 · CampaignCommunity Stack launches Community Switchboard to transform discoverability and accessibility across the UK third sectorCommunity Stack today announced the launch of Community Switchboard, a national platform designed to improve the discoverability, accessibility, and sustainability of charities, grassroots groups, and third-sector organisations across the UK. The launch includes plans for a new Barnsley HQ and advanced accessibility R&D facility.Read
- 13 April 2026 · ExpansionCommunity Stack Expands Cloud Ecosystem with GCP London User Group Acquisition and Launches Security & Extended AI Conference PortfolioCommunity Stack today announced the expansion of its cloud ecosystem through the stewardship and acquisition of the GCP London User Group, alongside the launch of a new Cloud & Platform Security Global Conference and additional global AI events.Read
- 31 March 2026 · ProductCommunity Stack Announces Community Engine, Targeting Redefinition of the Global Community Platform MarketCommunity Stack today announced the upcoming launch of Community Engine, a full-stack operating system designed to become the definitive platform for technical communities globally. The platform launches on 16 October 2026.Read
- 26 March 2026 · ConferencesCommunity Stack Expands Global Conference Portfolio as Ecosystem Scales Across AI, Cloud and Platform EngineeringCommunity Stack today announced a major expansion of its global conference footprint, launching three flagship events across AI, cloud native, and platform engineering as part of its rapidly growing ecosystem.Read
- 26 February 2026 · ExpansionCommunity Stack Expands APAC Operations, Surpasses 24,000 Global MembersCommunity Stack today announced its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region through the acquisition of three established Bangalore-based technology communities, strengthening its international footprint and bringing its total global ecosystem to more than 24,000 members.Read
- 27 January 2026 · PartnershipsCommunity Stack Announces Overmind as Global Ecosystem Platinum SponsorCommunity Stack today announced Overmind as a Global Ecosystem Platinum Sponsor, strengthening its long-term partnership ecosystem and expanding support for practitioner-led communities across cloud, DevOps, platform engineering, data, AI, and open source.Read
- 17 December 2025 · AcquisitionCommunity Stack Acquires Cloud Platform Engineering LondonCommunity Stack has acquired Cloud Platform Engineering London, a well-established London-based technology community with almost 2,000 members and a proven programme of 15 delivered events, previously operated by Appvia.Read
- 31 July 2025 · ProductCommunity Stack Launches Digital Lifeline for Invisible CharitiesSouth Yorkshire tech innovators launch Community Switchboard to bridge the gap between Britain's most vulnerable communities and the services designed to support them.Archived release
For coverage
About Community Stack.
Copy-ready descriptions in three lengths, and quotes you can use.
Standard · ~90 words
Community Stack is a stewardship-led community infrastructure group founded in Barnsley by Ethan Sumner. The company builds, operates, and stewards the infrastructure communities rely on across technology, civic life, and the third sector. Its work spans five connected pillars: Ecosystem, Engine, Junction, Switchboard, and Labs. Community Stack operates practitioner communities and conferences across AI, cloud, DevOps, platform engineering, and finance technology; builds open source software for community operations; gives third-sector organisations a credible accessible digital presence through Switchboard; and researches the next generation of community infrastructure through Labs. Its mission is to make communities easier to find, run, sustain, understand, and harder to lose.
Short · ~50 words
Community Stack is a stewardship-led community infrastructure group founded in Barnsley. It operates technical communities and conferences, supports the wider community-led market, builds platforms for community operations and third-sector discovery, creates responsible ecosystem insight, and runs research programmes focused on the next generation of social infrastructure.
One-liner
Community Stack builds, operates, and stewards the infrastructure communities rely on.
Quotes from Ethan Sumner, Founder & CEO
“Communities are infrastructure. They move knowledge, create opportunity, support participation, and reach people that institutions and traditional systems often miss. The systems supporting them should not be fragile by default.”
“We operate at a scale that proves the work. The largest independent portfolio of technical communities in the UK, every one of them running on our own tools. If it does not work for us, it is not ready for anybody else.”
“We are not simply an events company, a software company, or an advisory firm. We operate the communities, support the wider market, build the platforms, create the discovery layer, and research what comes next.”
“Stewardship before scale is not a slogan. It is the operating constraint that determines how we grow, what we take on, and what we refuse to do.”
“The commercial side pays for the civic side. That is the model. Not donation appeals, not annual funding rounds we have to win in order to survive. Civic infrastructure should be fundable rather than charitable.”
“Open code, open directories, shared standards and stewardship structures that survive any one organiser, any one funder, and any one company. Including this one.”
Story ideas
Angles we can speak to.
Available for commentary, interviews, podcasts, background briefings and panels. We can also connect you with organisers, sponsors, speakers and third-sector organisations across the portfolio.
Communities as critical infrastructure
Why communities should be treated, funded, governed and understood with the same seriousness as other infrastructure.
The infrastructure-first approach
Why growth-led models often create fragile communities, and what stewardship-led operation looks like in practice.
The future of technical ecosystems
What we're learning from operating communities across AI, cloud, DevOps, platform engineering, open source, data and leadership.
The post-Meetup landscape
What happens when organisers depend on platforms they don't control, and why communities need infrastructure they can trust.
The civic case for community infrastructure
Why technical communities and the third sector share the same problem: discovery, access, continuity, funding and trust.
Accessibility-first product design
Designing infrastructure for people with low digital confidence, disability or limited access, beyond compliance.
The rise of community-led markets
How vendors, sponsors, enterprises and investors are starting to treat communities as strategic market infrastructure.
Responsible community intelligence
Using data to improve coordination, resilience, accessibility and funding without becoming extractive.
Northern tech and regional ecosystems
Building national and global infrastructure from Barnsley, and what regional communities reveal about digital economies.
The future of technical events
Why practitioner-led events, roundtables and meetups still matter in an AI-saturated world.
Community acquisition and stewardship
How we acquire, modernise and steward community assets while protecting local identity and trust.
Digital inclusion and participation
Why discovery, offline access and accessible platforms matter for the future of the third sector.
Milestones
2021
Ethan Sumner founds Young DevOps and runs more than 20 events.
2022
Yorkshire Azure User Group launched with Ethan Jones. Eight people came to the first event.
2022
Sheffield DevOps and Leeds DevOps launch, then come together as Yorkshire DevOps.
2024
GenAI UK launched; it's now AI Operators Global.
May 2025
Community Stack launches in Barnsley as an umbrella for more communities, founded by Ethan Sumner.
August 2025
Community Switchboard announced.
December 2025
Acquired Cloud Platform Engineering London (~2,000 members) from Appvia.
January 2026
Overmind announced as Global Ecosystem Platinum Sponsor.
February 2026
Expanded into APAC with three Bangalore community acquisitions; surpassed 24,000 members.
March 2026
2026 conference programme announced; three national campaigns launched; Community Engine announced.
April 2026
Acquired GCP London User Group; launched Cloud & Platform Security Global Conference; surpassed 25,000 members.
April 2026
Community Switchboard national launch; Barnsley HQ and Advanced Accessibility R&D Lab announced.
June 2026
Next phase of the ecosystem announced: 3 ecosystems, 18 communities, 12 conferences, and a 100,000+ member ambition.
July 2026
Portfolio refocused on two core pillars: operating the largest independent portfolio of technical communities in the UK, and building the software community operations run on.
October 2026
Engine Community Edition and Junction launch on 16 October 2026.
Spokesperson
Ethan Sumner
Founder & CEO
Community organiser and technologist from Barnsley. Previously at Microsoft, Mastercard and global consultancies, Ethan built Yorkshire's largest practitioner community network from the ground up.
Working on a story?
Tell us your deadline and angle. We'll get you the right person, the facts and any assets you need within 24 hours.